Disappearing stairway



Sept. 1; 1931.

F. E. BESSLER DISAPPEARING STAIRWAY Fi led March 11,' 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. FM/wc [.fiEssLE/a A TTORNEYJ:

Sept. 1, 1931. F. E. BESSLER DISAPPEARING STAIRWAY s Sheets-Shet 2 Filed March ll, 1929 INVENTOR. /7r/nwr 553.91. FR,

BY ATTORNEYJ.

Sept. 1, 1931. F. E. BESSLER 1,821,372

DISAPPEARING STAIRWAY Filed March 11. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVR. EfW/Vlt 5 5555.453.

A TTORNEYJ'.

Sept. 1, 1931. F. E. BESSLER 3 9 I DISAPPEARING STAIRWAY File'd March 11, 1929- 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

5 4M: 1.? fifssuliz,

QBY-

A TTORNEYJ' Sept. 1.1931.

F. E. BESSLER bIsAPPEARmG STAIRWAY Filed March 11, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 A TTORNEYJI l 'atentecl Sept. 1, 1931 amewi-wwmwn iwi;

FRANK n. BESSLER, or AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNQR 5.30 THE BE L B DISABPEAR STAIRWAY ooivrranxor AKRON, 01110,, A CORPORATION r OHIO DISAPPEA'RTNG 'STAIRWZAY lhis invention relates to disappearing Stairways of'that type cooperating with a ceiling opening between lower and upper floors ofa 'building.

The general purpose of the inventionis to provide a-disappearing stairway of a simple, inexpensive type, which will be easily and safely operable by'hand and which may dispense with the usual cablelconnections and springer power operated drums'heretofore employed in disappearing stairway construction. a

The -"foregoing and other purposes :of the invention are attained in the disappearing stairway shown in theaccompanying drawings and-described: below. 'It isito beunderstood that the invention isnot lirnited to the specific forms thereofshown and described.

Of the accom an in drawin s Fi ure 1 23 is a side elevationpartly in section of a stairway installation, embodying :the invention with the stairway shown in its retracted position on the upper floor;

M Figure 2 is a side elevation partlybroken away and in section-and shows saidstairway swung downwardly into the position assumed thereby after the first operation of extending it toward its position of use;

Figure 3 is a similar side elevation showing the stairway completely extended to the lower floor;

Figure 4 is afront elevation thereof; Figures '5 and 6 are detail side elevations m of the device for lockin-g the stair structure onto its mount and showing respectively the operation of unlocking and relocking the stair structure;

Figure 7 is a detail section on line 77 of ,-,j Figure2 illustrating the construction whereby the toggle holding the panel open is broken to permit the panel to shut when the stairway is swung upwardly toward its retracted position;

Figure 8 is plan of another disappearing stairway installation embodying theinventon shown in its retracted position on i the upper floor;

M Figure 9 is a side elevation partly-in. secw tion of the upper part ofthe above stairway installati-onwhen extended to its position of use yand Figure 10 is a front elevation thereof. Beferring'to Figures 1 to 7 of the drawings the numeral 11 designates a suitable openingina ceiling between lower and up-. per floors of a building and a panel 12 is shownhinged to one side of said opening to close the same-when thestairway is not in use. 7

A suitable stair structure '13 is slidably mounted on a support 14 through-the agency of bars 14 mounted on bracket-s14 and arms 31 secured to the support 14,-which'barscooperate with grooves l5running along the outer sides of the stairway stringers. ,The support 14 is pivoted to one end of the open? ing 11 which permits the loweriend of the stairwayto be swung down through the opening 11 1 (see Figures 1 and 2) and then slid downwardly on bars 14 whereby the stair is extended to the lower floor (Figure The stair structure '13 is arranged normally to be locked to the support 14 in-its retractedstate by provision of; a cam lock 17 pivoted at 218 on the outer side of onestairway stringer. :The lock 17 is provided with a hookportion'l) adapted to engage about a stud 20 on one of the brackets 14 to hold the stairway against sliding downwardly as it is swung through opening 11. A cam face 21 on the lock 17 is arranged to be moved against stud 20 by sliding the stair structure upwardlye slightly on support 14 to swing the hook portion 19 to such a position (See Figurefi) that when the stair structure is then drawn downwardly-the stud 2O willengage a cam edge 22 below the hook portion and swing the 'cam lock upwardly out of the way permitting the stairway to be extended to the lower floor. v

The cam face 21 terininatesyin a. stop 21 preventing-piersthan a slight upward unlocking movement, A cam edge 23 is arranged on the look so as to be projected downwardly asthe hook portion 19 is swung npiw-arldly whereby -when the stairway isto he relocked an upward movement of the stair structureengages said cam edge with stud 20, causing the hook portion 19,;t0 be swung downwardly (Figure 6) whereupon upon. re-

leaseof the stair structure, it will move downwardly, stud 20 in effect passing through a groove 24 in back or above the cam face 21 into reengagement with hook portion 19. The pivot of lock 17 is constructed in any suitable way so that frictional resistance therein will hold the lock in any position to which it is moved against the action of gravity thereon.

The stair structure 13 is connected to the panel 12 to be partly operated thereby, as hereinafter explained, and also to hold the panel open when the stairway is extended, by means of an adjustable toggle linkage 25, the ends of which are pivoted respectively at 26 and 27 on brackets 28 and 29, swiveled onto panel 12 and onto a channel member 30 connected to the support 1%, whereby the toggle may twist insuch a way that one end may move in the are described by the panel in opening and closing and the other in the are described by the stair structure as it is swung through the opening, these arcs being in planes at right angles to each other. The channel member 30 has one arm 30 so arranged as to engage and break the toggle as the stair structure is swung upwardly to permit the panel to close (Figure 7).

A spring control device may be provided on the stair structure comprising arm 31, secured to the support lt and connected by a spring 32 to one end of a lever 33 pivoted in the opening at 34 and the other end of which 35 is adapted to engage the end wall of the opening so as to apply yielding resistance to further downward swinging movement of the stair structure after its lower end has been pulled through the opening by the toggle 25 when the panel is opened.

For operating the stairway from below, the panel 12 is provided with a chain 36- to pull it down out of opening 11, it being normally urged shut by springs 37, 37 connected at one end adjacent to the free edge of the panel and, at the other to the side wall opening 11 above the panel hinges. For operating the stairway from above, the upper face of the panel. is provided with a diagonally arranged rail 38, adapted to be engaged by one side of the lower portion of the stair structure, when the upper end thereof is lifted from the upper floor to push the panel downwardly as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 until toggle 25 is extended to hold the panel down.

In operation of this form of the invention to extend the stairway to its position of use, either the chain 36 is pulled from below or the upper end of the stair structure is lifted from above to swing the panel downwardly, movement of the panel to its fullyopened position causing the stair structure to swing downwardly through the opening by means of the toggle connection 25 between the panel and the support 14. The arrangement of the toggle 25 between the support 14: and the panel is such as to lock the panel 12 in fully-opened position. When the stairway is operated from the upper floor, the upper end of the stair structure is lifted and the panel is opened by engagement of one side of the lower end of the stairway with rail 38. The stairway, which is now in position so that it may be grasped either from the lower or upper floors, is then slid upwardly slightly and then downi'vardly on support 14 to release cam lock 17 whereupon it is slid and swung downi'vardly to the lower floor, swinging thereof being retarded by spring 32 and downward movement being retarded by spring drum 40.

To retract the stairway, the stair structure is moved upwardly until cam lock 17 reengages and locks the same on stud 20 of the support 1 1. It is then swung upwardly, toggle 25, during the initial part of this movement, twisting on the swivel mountings so that one member thereof engages arm 30 of channel 30 which causes said toggle to be broken and permits panel 12 to be closed by springs 37 as the stair structure swings by gravity to its retracted position, the upper end of the stair structure being longer than and slightly ov-erbalancing the lower end thereof and the support 1 1 when the stair structure is locked to the support 14;.

The form of stairway shown in Figures 8 to 10 is quite similar to that described above excepting that the panel closure is arranged to be operable by the stair structure either from above or below and in this type of construction the closure is preferably made in double panel. form, each panel 12 being hinged to the opposite sides of the opening 11 and normally urged shut by springs 37. Diagonal rails 38 38 are arranged on the panels 12 so as to be engaged by the opposite sides of the stair structure to swing the panels open when operated either from above or below, operation from below being arranged for by provision of a chain 36 connected to the stair structure and extended down between the meeting edges of the panels. The construction and operation of this form of the invention is otherwise similar to the first form described with the exception, of course, that toggle 25 is not required, as the weight of the panels is considerably less in this cons ruction and in View of the fact that the operating chain is connected to the stairs and not to the panel. 7

In order to assist in the operation of either form of the above described stairways, either may be counter-balanced by a spring drum 40 mounted on a pair of cross bars 41 on the support 14 and on which is wound a tape 42 connected to the stair structure at 43. A standard form of sash balance is suitable for this purpose.

It will be apparent from the foregoing tion. jModifications other than :those dis-.

hold the stairway in its retracted position,

above theopening,a1panel -hinged at one side of the opening, yielding means :tendingto hold the panel shut, means forpulling the panel downwardlyvfrom below, a-rail diagonally directed across .thexupper side of the panel adapted to r be engaged by oneside of the lower portion ofthe stair structure to open the panelfrom above,itogglemeans between thepanel and stairstructure for swinging the lower end of the stair structure through the opening as the-panel is opened from be low and 1 adap'tedlto lock thepanel open,"said toggle means having swiveled connections with the stair structure and panelpermitting its ends to follow' the respectivearcs through vwhich .the panelaand stair structureswmg,

means :in .contact with which one member of the toggle is adapted to twist .to break the toggle as the stair structureis swung upwardly through the/opening to permit the panel to close, and yielding means resisting further downward swinging of the stair structure-after it has been initially swung downwardly by saidtoggle means. 1 V 7 2. A disappearing stairway for cooperation withran opening in a ceiling between lower and upper floors of a building including arms pivoted atzone end of the opening,

a stair structure slidably mounted on said arms, means for lockingsaid stair structure 'n aretracted positionon said arms,-said lockng means being adapted-to bereleased or relred by a reciprocating movement of-the ir structure, the upper portion of said stair structure slightly overbalancing thelower ortion thereofwhenretracted on the arms to hold the stairway in its retracted position above the opening, a panel hinged at one side of the opening,;yielding means tending to holdthe panel shut, means for pulling the oc ta panel downwardly from below, a rail diagonally directed acrossthe upper side of the paneladapted tobeengag-ed'by one side of the lower ,portioniot the stair structure to 60 open the panel from above,.toggle meansbetweenrthe panel and stairst-ructure forgswiilging the lower end of the stair structure through the opening as the panel is opened from :below and adapted to lock :the panel open,'-said toggle means having swiveled connections with zthe stairstructure and panel permitting its ,ends to followxtlle respective arcsthrough which the1panel= and: stair structure 1 swing, means 'incontact with which. one member of the toggle is adapted to twist :to break "the ztoggle as the stair structure is swung upwardly through the opening to-permit thevpanel to close.

3. Adisappearing stairway for cooperation with anopening in a ceiling between lowerand upper floors of a buildingincluding arms pivoted at one end of theopening, a stair structure slidably :mounted on said arms, means for releasably lockingsaid-stair structure in SQI'BtTaCtQCl position on-said arms, means {for pulling the panel downwardly from below, a rail diagonally directedacross the upper side of" the panel adaptedttobe engaged by-one side of the lOWGIYPOIlLlOIl Of the stair structure .to open thejpanel from abovaioggle-means between the panel and stair structure for swinging the lower end of the stairstructure through the opening as the'panel is opened from below :anduadapted to lo k'the panel open, said toggle means havingswiveled connections with the stair structure and panel permitting its ends to follow therespective arcs through which the panel and stair structure swing, means incontact with which one member of the toggle is adapted to twist to break the toggle as the stair structure is swung upwardly through the opening to permit the panel to close, and yielding means resisting further downward swinging of the stair structure after ithas been initially swung downwardly by said toggle; means.

i. A disappearing stairway for cooperation with an opening in a ceiling between lower and upper floors of a building including arms pivoted at one end of the op'enmg, a stair structure slidably mounted on SRJCl'fiIIIlS,

meansior releasably locking said stair structure in a :retracted position on said arms,

means for pullin the panel downwardly from below,.:a rail diagonally directed across the upper side of the panel adapted to be engaged by one side of the lower portion of the stair structure to open the panel from above, toggle means between the panel and stair structure for swinging the lower end ofthe stair structure throughthe opening as the panel is opened from below and adapted to lock the panel open, said toggle means iaving swiveled connections iwiththe stair structure and panel permittingits end to fol low the respective arcs through which the panel and stair structure swing, and means in contact with whichone: member of the toggle is adapted ".tO' twist to; break the :toggle as the stair structure is swung upwardly through the opening to permit the panel to close. 7

5. A disappearing stairway tor cooperation with an opening in a ceiling between lower and upper floors of a building including arms pivoted at one end of the opening, a stair structure slidably mounted on said arms for releasably locking said stair struc ture in a retracted position on said arms, means for pulling the panel downwardly from below, toggle means between the panel and stair structure for swinging the lower end of the stair structure through the opening as the panel is opened from below and adapted to lock the panel open, said toggle means having swiveled connections with the stair structure and panel permitting its end to follow the respective arcs through which the panel and stair structure swing, and means in contact with which one member of the toggle is adapted to twist to break the toggle as the stair structure is swung upwardly through the opening to permit the panel to close.

6. A disappearing stairway for cooperation with an opening in a ceiling between lower and upper floors oi a building including arms pivoted at one end of the opening, a stair structure slidably mounted on said arms, means for releasably locking said stair structure in a retracted position on said arms, means for pulling the panel downwardly from below, and means between the panel and stair structure for swinging the lower end of the stair structure through the open ing as the panel is opened from below and adapted to lock the panel open.

7. A disappearing stairway for cooperation with an opening in a ceiling between lower and upper floors ot' a building including arms pivoted at one end of the openi a stair structure slidably mounted on sa t arms, means for locking said stair structure in a retracted position on said arms, said locking means being adapted to be released or relocked by a reciprocating movement of the stair structure, the upper portion of said stair structure slightly overbalancing the lower portion thereoi when retracted on the arms to hold the stairway in its retracted position above the opening, a panel hinged at one side of the opening, and yielding means tending to hold the panel shut.

8. A disappearing stairway i'or cooperation with an opening in a ceiling between lower and upper floors of a building including arms pivoted at one end of the opening, a stair structure slidably mounted on said arms, means for releasably locking said stair structure in a retracted position on said arms, a hinged panel for closing said opening, and a rail diagonally directed across the upper side of the panel adapted to be engaged by one side of the lower portion of the stair structure to open the panel from above.

9. The combination with a ceiling opening between lower and upper floors of a building of a stair structure pivotally and slidably mounted at one end of the opening, a panel closure for the opening hinged at one side of the opening whereby its plane of swinging movement is at right angles to the plane of swinging movement of the stair structure, means normally urging the panel shut, said panel being adapted to be pushed open by swinging the stair structure downwardly, yielding means for resisting further downward swinging of the stair structure after the panel is open, and means for releasably locking the stair structure against sliding on its mounting.

10. The combination with a ceiling opening between lower and upper floors of a building, of a stair structure pivotally and slidably mounted at one end of the opening, a panel closure for the opening hinged at a side of the opening whereby its plane of swinging movement is at right angles to the plane of swinging movement of the stair structure, means normally urging the panel shut, said panel being adapted to be pushed open by swinging the stair structure downwardly, and means for releasably locking the stair structure against sliding on its mounting.

11. The combination with a ceiling opening between lower and upper floors of a building of a stair structure pivotally and slid ably mounted at one end of the opening, a panel closure for the opening hinged at a side of the opening whereby its plane of swinging movement is at right angles to the plane of swinging movement of the stair structure, means normally urging the panel shut, said panel being adapted to be pushed open swinging the stair structure downwardly, and yielding means for resisting further downward swinging of the stair structure after the panel is opened.

12. A disappearing stairway for cooperation with a ceiling opening comprising a stair structure, means pivotally and slidably mounting said stair structure at one end of the ceiling opening, locking means for releasably locking the stair structure against sliding on its mounting means, said locking means being adapted to be released and relocked by reciprocating movement of the stair structure, said stair structure being slightly overbalanced so as norn'ially to be urged upwardly when the stair structure is locked on its mounting means, yielding means for resisting downward swinging of the stair structure after it has been released and moved to a point where the lower portion 01": the stair structure overbalances the upper portion thereof, a closure panel hinged to the side of the ceiling opening, and toggle linlrage connecting said closure panel and said mounting means.

7 13. A disappearing stairway for cooperation with a ceiling opening comprising a stair structure, means pivotally andslidably mounting said stair structure at one end of the ceiling opening, locking means for releasably locking the stair structure against sliding on its mounting means, said stair structure being slightly overbalanced so as normally to be urged upwardly when the 10 stair structure is locked on its mounting means, a closure panel hinged to the side of the ceiling opening, and a toggle linkage connecting said closure panel and said mounting means.

14. The combination with a disappearing stairway movable between a retracted position above a ceiling opening and a position of use in which it is extended from one end of the opening toa lower floor of a closure C'panel for said opening hinged at a side of said opening and operably associated with V the stairway.

15. A disappearing stairway for cooperating with a ceiling opening between lower and upper floors, comprising a stair structure, a support for the stair structure adapted to pivotally and slidably mount such stair structure at one end of the ceiling opening whereby such stair structure is movable to an can tended position in cooperation with the lower floor and to a retracted position on said support in which its upper portion overbalances by its weight alone the lower portion of the stairway and the support to move to and hold the stairway in a retracted position, and yielding means connected only to the stair structure to counterbalance the ef-- stair is operated from below, downward movement of the panelwill tip the support and the stair structure downwardly. a

18; A disappearing stairway for cooperation with a ceiling opening between lower and upper floors, comprising a stair structure, a support pivotally securedto the end of the ceiling opening and slidably and pivotally supporting said stair structure, a closure panel hinged to the side of said ceiling opening at the lower side thereof, and means on said panel cooperating with said stair structure to move said panel downwardly upon operation of the stair from above.

FRANK E. BESSLER.

ture, a support pivotally secured to the end of the ceiling opening and slidably and pivotally supporting said stair structure, a closure panel hinged to the side of said ceiling opening at the lower side thereof, swiveled toggle linkage connecting said closure panel and said support whereby when the stair is operated from below, downward movement of the panel will tip the support and the stair structure downwardly, and means on said panel cooperating with said stair structure to move said panel downwardly upon operation of the stair from above.

17. A disappearing stairway for cooperation with a ceiling opening between lower 7 and upper floors, comprising a stair structure, a support pivotally secured to the end of the ceiling opening and slidably and pivotally supporting said stair structure, a closure panel hinged to the side of said ceiling opening at the lower side thereof, and swiveled toggle linkage connecting said closure panel and said support whereby when the 

